@loriesco thank you so much for your detailed input! I'm 69, am new to the Mayo blog. This forum is exactly what I've been searching for! I took HRT for about 19 years following early menopause at 46 years old, most of that time I was using Combi patch which worked very well. My understanding is that there is a window of 10 years once you start menopause in which you will receive the mostlong term health benefits from HRT. I had a knee replacement in 2018 and my orthopedic surgeon asked me to pause my HRT a few months prior to surgery. Afterward I chose not to continue the patch. When hot flashes returned my internist prescribed an anitdepressant called Venlafaxine which suppresses the hot flashes. This works and my GYN concurred with my internist that it's the best solution for hot flashes vs. HRT. Most of the research I've done on HRT has addressed the updated studies and benefits for menopausal women but I haven't found anything specific to women over 65 until your post! I recently consulted with an HRT specialist and recently had the full blood panel done via her specific orders. The results you're experiencing are promising. I feel good but I want to feel great overall and that sounds like what you've achieved.